Kathey Porter Kathey Porter has been a Supplier Diversity Director and consultantDirector of Small Business for the government, higher education and corporate sectors, and has successfully assisted small businesses in receiving millions of and dollars in contract opportunities. As the Director of Small BusinessVendor Diversity Relations and Vendor Diversity Relations for the University of Florida, University of Florida she is responsible for an inclusive program focusing on ensuring equal access for small/HUBzone/minority/small/disadvantaged/ veteran/service-disabled veteran/women-owned businesses. Porter is a frequent speaker, panelist and workshop facilitator, and a member of the national task analysis committee for the Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD) certification with the Institute for Supply Management. She is the author of 50 Billion Dollar Boss: African American Women Sharing Stories of Success in Entrepreneurship and Leadership (Palgrave Macmillan), and her second book is scheduled to be released later this year. Porter is a Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD) through the Institute for Supply Management.

Willie Johnson Willie Johnson is the Procurement Manager, Supplier Diversity atProcurement Manager, CHEP and has overseen the growth of supplier diversity spend by 79% year-over-year. He regularly shares information about CHEP’s Supplier Diversity robust process and practices with supplier diversity organizations CHEP like NMSDC, WBENC and others to add value to the supplier community. Johnson’s collaborative approach has embedded supplier diversity into the CHEP culture, meaning everyone is working toward the same goals. To expand an already successful program, Johnson focuses on understanding available opportunities, identifying the available supplier base and understanding the capacity of suppliers.With this information, he can position the appropriate suppliers for partnerships and growth opportunities in the organization. Johnson actively locates suppliers who can provide the scope of service or products CHEP is sourcing, ensuring that diverse suppliers are included in the process. He brings deep knowledge of supplier-diversity issues to his position. As a past manager with Supplier Diversity and Council Services, he is an active committee member working on special projects for various supplier diversity organizations.